1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shelving system for a pantry and more particularly to a shelving system which includes a set of variable shelves, which are identical, that can be arranged in a plurality of ways to provide optimum visibility of the labels of the cans in storage within the pantry.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,312, entitled Expandable Shelf, issued to Joel B. Thorkildson on May 22, 1979, teaches a two piece lengthwise adjustable shelf adapted to be mounted between two structural members, which includes a first sheet member having a generally rectangular planar surface of a predetermined length and width with a first integrally formed lip extending perpendicular to the planar surface along a first longitudinal edge thereof, and a second integrally formed lip extending perpendicular to the planar surface along a second longitudinal edge thereof in a direction opposite to the first lip and including a generally U-shaped portion therealong, there is a predetermined spacing between opposed legs of the U-shaped portion slightly greater than the thickness of the first sheet member and an integrally formed end tab extending perpendicular to the planar surface along one transverse edge thereof. The adjustable shelf also includes a second sheet member having a generally rectangular planar surface of a predetermined length and width and a thickness generally equal to the the thickness of the first sheet member with a first integrally formed U-shaped lip extending perpendicular to the planar surface along a first longitudinal edge thereof. There is a predetermined spacing between opposed legs of the U-shaped lip slightly greater than the thickness of the second sheet member. A second integrally formed lip extends perpendicular to the planar surface along a second longitudinal edge thereof in a direction opposite the first lip and includes an edge portion therealong. An integrally formed end tab extends perpendicular to the planar surface along one transverse edge thereof. The arrangement is such that the first lip on the first member is slidably engageable between the spaced apart legs of the U-shaped portion on the second member when the edge portion on the second member is slidingly engageable between the spaced apart legs of the U-shaped lip on the first member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,977, entitled Modular Shelf System with Assembly-Disassembly Feature issued to Bernard Yellin on Mar. 27, 1979, teaches a shelf system composable of modular elements, the combination of a pair of shelf modules placed one above the other. Each of the shelf modules has a plurality of generally rectangular through vertical openings formed by depending wall portions and a plurality of column modules disposed between adjacent shelf modules. One end of each column module is hollow and has formed on opposite walls two internal opposed confronting detent shoulders. Each of the walls is inwardly offset to form a support surface for a shelf module. The one end is received in a vertical opening of the shelf with the shelf resting on the support surface. The opposite end of each column module has a pair of longitudinally extending opposed fingers, each terminating in a barb. The fingers are inwardly offset to form shelf engaging surfaces, and are adapted to be received in the hollow end of an adjoining column module so that the barbs mechanically interlock with respective detent shoulders to connect adjoining column modules while retaining a shelf module between the support surface and the shelf engaging surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,803, entitled Knock Down Corrugated Board Floor Display on May 1, 1979, teaches a knock down corrugated board display device which in its erected state includes a vertically disposed rear wall and vertically disposed side walls hingedly joined to said rear wall adjacent the side edges thereof; a multiplicity of spaced apart shelves each hingedly joined to the rear wall, the display device being collapsible with each shelf pivoting upwardly to lie generally parallel to the rear wall and with the side walls pivoting inwardly to lie generally parallel to said rear wall sandwiching shelves between side and rear walls; and a rope positioned under each shelf from side wall to side wall and secured to each side wall, each said rope being under tension when the shelf there above is extended to a horizontal position, the tension being created by contact of the lateral side edges of the shelf immediately above said rope with the side walls, each said rope serving to support a shelf thereabove and whatever may be on the shelf.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,629, entitled Organizer, issued to Arnold E. Santi on Apr. 24, 1979, teaches a non free standing organizer for storing horizontally insertable assorted household items, namely kitchen utensils, in horizontally accessible compartments, said organizer being insertable within a horizontally accessible unit having a horizontal shelf panel, portions of which directly support the stored items and portions of which support said organizer and further having first and second vertical shelf panels extending upwardly from the horizontal shelf panel for limiting the longitudinal extension of said organizer and thereby providing lateral support for said organizer, said organizer comprising in combination; a continuous length of bendable wire mesh material folded into a repetitive pattern of an upper horizontally oriented element, a vertically oriented element and a lower horizontally oriented element, said vertically oriented element being greater in width than said upper and lower horizontally oriented elements whereby adjacent pairs of said vertically oriented elements define opposed sides and the top or bottom sides respectively of each horizontally accessible compartment of said organizer, each said compartment thereby having a greater height than width, each said lower horizontally oriented element being locatable upon the horizontal shelf panel to receive support for and transmit support to the connected ones of said vertically oriented elements; whereby, said organizer compartmentalizes the horizontally accessible unit into a plurality of individually accessible compartments having vertical segregating elements for separating items stored within different ones of said individually accessible compartments.